Kratom is a designer drug originating from Mitragyna speciosa, an uncontrolled plant found in South East Asia. The designer drug has gained significant popularity in recent years due to its widespread availability on the internet and in head shops. It is marketed as a way to combat fatigue, pain and depression. The new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), developed by Randox Toxicology, is the first immunoassay drug test for Kratom, providing a rapid solution for the detection of mitragynine and its metabolites.
As with other designer drugs (eg Spice and Bath Salts), Kratom is marketed as a ‘legal high’, which can mislead users to believe that the drug is safe to use. In fact, several cases of psychosis resulting from the use of Kratom have been reported, with individuals addicted to the drug exhibiting psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusion, and confusion. Mitragynine and several related alkaloids naturally occur in the Mitragyna speciosa plant have psychoactive properties.
From exotic plants to synthetic blends, designer drugs create a difficult task for forensic toxicologists as waves of new compounds with different chemical properties flood the market. Immunoassays provide a straightforward method for laboratory drug screening, allowing a large number of specimens to be screened relatively quickly. The new ELISA can detect mitragynine and its metabolites, 9-O-desmethylmitragynine, 7-alpha-hydroxymitragynine and 7-alpha-acetoxymitragynin in urine and blood specimens, providing valuable information for further analysis.
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